4: Attacking a Castle When attacking a castle, the besiegers used siege towers to breach walls. They also dug tunnels under the walls and replaced it's supports with wooden beams.

5: They then burned the beams to bring down the wall. Doing this gave them enough time to get out from under the castle. Trebuchets were used to destroy a wall. They were placed just outside of missile

6: range. They were also used to fling dung and dead animals at the castle to spread disease. Another use was to launch the heads of their fallen soldiers to demoralize them. Ballistas were placed in front of the

7: gates to the castle. This allowed the attackers to skewer the defenders if they tried to rush out of the gates at them. Attackers built trenches around the castle to cut off trading. This starved out defenders.

8: Defending a Castle | When defending a castle, the most reliable men were the archers. The archers would use their long bows to shoot the attackers from over 1,000 feet. However, they increased with technology and made the crossbow.

9: Catapults were used on top of a castle to destroy the enemy's siege weapons, and the attackers as well. They could shoot giant arrows or darts made from wood, and topped off with a steel tip. They could also use rocks to hurl at the enemy.

10: Another defense tactic was the moat surrounding the castle. The moat would either be wet or dry. If it was wet, the moat would be filled with water, and the attackers would not be able to reach the castle unless the drawbridge was released. If it was a dry moat, it would contain many stakes in there. The stakes would stop siege towers in their tracks, and the soldiers would have to be careful trying to maneuver through them. This would make them an easy target for the archers.

11: The portcullis, located in front of the castle protects, the entrance. It was made of metal, so it could withstand a lot of pressure. However, if the attackers would manage to take it down and reach the entrance of the castle, they would cross by the murder holes. When they were there, the defenders would dump heavy stones, hot sand, molten lead, boiling water, tar, and pitch on them. If accessible, they would also dump rotten materials such as dung and dead bodies. | If they managed to get past all of that, they would have to travel up the spiral staircase located in the castle. If the attacker was right handed, the sword would bang against the staircase, and it would warn the defenders that someone was coming to get them. Before he was able to reach the top, he would have been bombarded by rocks flying down the staircase.

12: TOP: Portcullis MIDDLE: Murder Holes | BOTTOM: Spiral Staircase

13: Armando's Journal Entry#1 It's 739 A.C, we have just surrounded the castle. We have taken it's supplies from the traders coming through. Tonight we set up camp. We will start digging under

14: the castle at dawn. Entry#2 Today we started digging. We finished the tunnel in around 5 days. It's supports have been replaced with wooden beams. We will hopefully burn the beams and attack soon. This castle is as good as finished.

15: Entry#3 We did it! And it only took 1 week. The castle is ours. The tunnel worked like a charm. We completely caught them off guard. It wasn't even a battle. You could call it a slaughter if you wanted to. This is one victory that people will not forget.

16: Life of the Archer: Jimmy Kokenburd Day 50: The war continues for this castle. I fear we may be losing it. Their siege weapons just keep on coming. We are also running low on supplies. We had our supplies cut off about a week ago. My arrows are also depleting. I will not be able to defend the castle if I don't have any more arrows. Hold on. No. Another wave of knights are coming. I fear this may be the end...

17: Day 52: We survived the attack. However, many of our fellow troops have moved on. Now, all of the archers are out of arrows. There cannot be another invasion. They must surrender. Surely they will, they have to. Yeah, they will. I like the sound of that. Victory. Day 53: All of our knights are gone. They broke down our portcullis. They are now inside the castle. As I stand here, watching them come, I think. I think what would of happened if we had more supplies. Just a couple hundred more arrows, a couple hundred more knights, and a months supply of food. What would have happened then?

18: However, a man can only dream. I now know what is to become of me. They are coming for me now. As my last words to everyone who reads this; I did all I could for this castle. They are coming for me. They are almost inside my room.

19: Siege Weapons | A trebuchet is a weapon that is used to launch objects at the enemy. It was commonly used to destroy walls and fling the heads of fallen soldiers at castles to demoralize defenders. It was also used to launch dead animals and animal dung at defenders to spread disease. | Trebuchet

20: Ballista | A ballista was built like a crossbow, but only bigger, and it worked by using tension. It was designed to fire huge wooden darts topped off with iron. The force at which the ballista would fire would be great enough to skewer multiple enemies at once.